Electric connector socket



' A. R. POOL April 23, 1940.

ELECTRIC CONNECTOR SOCKET Filed Sept. 5. 1939 (Ittomeqg Patented Apr. 23, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to separable electrical connector plugs and sockets and has for its object to devize a device of this kind which will more reliably engage the spaced conducting blades or legs of the usual separable male plug element as used on lamp extension cords, electric irons, and the like. The chief object of the invention is to provide a connector of this type which will have a longer life than those comlO monly employed, by providing a more positive frictional interlocking engagement and thus insuring that a firm electrical contact will always be established.

A further object of the invention is to produce 16 a construction in which the plug legs come into wiping electrical engagement on both of their sides with corresponding elements of the female or socket element.

A still further object of the invention is to 20 produce a construction of the general character outlined which may be easily and quickly asassembled, the electrical connections inside the plug being completed by the mere assembly operation, since the external parts of the device are 25 directly electrically connected with the internal parts without extraneous members of any kind.

With the general objects named in view and others as will hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certain novel and useful features of 30 construction and combination of parts as hereinafter described and claimed; and in order that it may be fully understood, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan or end View of a socket 35 embodying the invention, shown for convenience as of the screw-threaded type.

Figure 2 is a view on the line IIII of Figure 1, the smaller portion of the longitudinally clivided body member of the socket being omitted.

40 Figure 3 is a section on the line III-III of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section on the line IVIV of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a rear perspective view of a socket 45 embodying the invention as it may appear for use in a wall receptacle.

In the said drawing, where like reference characters identify corresponding parts in all of the figures, l is the shell of the usual male 50 member or plug connector, said shell carrying a pair of rigid or semi-rigid conducting straps or legs 2 and 3. As usual with many plugs of this type, one leg, the leg 2, is wider than the other leg, so that the plug may be inserted only 55 one way in a socket for the purpose of insuring the grounding of a determined side of the line 4. The socket member of the invention, which in most of the figures, is shown as of the usual externally threaded type, comprises a pair of insulating body members 5 and 6 of semi-circular 5 outline with their fiat sides in abutment. The flat abutting faces have three spaced parallel grooves, namely, 1, 8 and t, the grooves in the member 6 being deeper than the grooves in the member 5, although this point is not of particular 10 importance other than making the parts more easy to assemble. The center groove 8 terminates short of both ends of the insulating body members, while the side grooves I and 9 both open at one end of the body members to form slots for the reception of the contact straps 2 and 3, respectively, of the plug I.

Fitted Within the grooves l, 8 and 9 are a pair of relatively U-shaped conducting clips l0 and II, one leg of each of said clips being received in the groove 8. The closed end of the clip It) extends through the head of the socket and is bent at right angles as at IE to form an external contact center for the socket. The end of the socket is externally formed with a flat shoulder I3, and the other clip I l is provided with a shoulder l4 resting on said fiat shoulder I 3 of the body of the socket. The two body members 5 and 6 are held in assembled relation by being formed with coextensive external threaded surfaces received within a threaded metal shell or external clamp and contact terminal 15, having an internal upper flange It for contact with the portion [4 of the clip II, for completion of the other side of an electric circuit. The lower end of the shell may be crimped to the members 5 and 6 to hold the assembly permanently in position. The parallel legs of the clips 58 and H are crimped or bowed outwardly as shown in the drawing to insure a positive wiping engagement with straps 2 and 3.

Prior to the insertion of the parts into the shell I 5 and the completion of the assembly, a good frictional engagement with the separable plug members 2 and 3, is insured by placing a pair of conducting frictional balls I? in sockets I8 formed in the body member 6. Each of said balls is pressed outwardly by springs IS, the balls thus being located between the legs of the clips and in opposition thereto. The adjacent legs of the clips are insulated from each other by the insertion therebetween of a mica or other suitable insulating strip 20.

In Figure 5, a socket adapted for use with a wall receptacle is shown. The internal construc- 5 tion will be in accordance with that of the structure above described, but the device is structurally modified in the following respects: 2| and 22 are respective two halves of an insulating body member adapted to be held together at their front ends by a bolt 23, their rear ends being secured by screws or the like 24 to a receptacle engaging supporting strap 25. The ends of the U-shaped contacts are shown at 26, overlapping on the rear face of the body members and are respectively adapted to be secured to the opposite ends of lead wires, not shown.

From the above description, it will be apparent that I have produced a construction embodying all of the features of advantage set forth as desirable; and while I have described and illustrated the preferred construction, it is to be understood that I reserve the right to all changes within the spirit and scope of the invention and without the ambit of the prior art.

I claim:

1. An electrical connector comprising an insulating body member having three parallel longitudinally extending grooves, a pair of U-shaped conducting clips arranged in said grooves, each having one leg in a common groove, an insulating strip in said groove between the adjacent clip legs, a conducting ball between the legs of each clip, and a conducting spring between each ball and one clip leg to maintain each ball in electrical connection through its respective spring with one leg of a clip and yieldingly advancing said balls so that they shall conjointly with the other leg of such clip make electrical contact with opposite sides of a separable plug member.

2. An electrical connector comprising an insulating body member having three parallel 1ongitudinally extending grooves, a pair of U-shapcd conducting clips arranged in said grooves, each having one leg in a common groove, an insulating strip in said common groove between the adjacent clip legs, the closed end of one of said clips extending through one end of the body member to form an external contact terminal, a threaded shell encircling the body member and forming a second external contact terminal and being formed with a circumferential inturned shoulder, the closed end of the other clip being clamped below the shoulder of said shell, a conducting ball between the legs of each clip, and a conducting spring between each ball and one clip leg to maintain each ball in permanent electrical connection through its respective spring with one leg of a clip and yieldingly advancing said balls so that they shall conjointly with the other leg of such clip make electrical contact with opposite sides of a separable plug member.

AUSTIN R. POOL. 

